How Small Concentrated Updates Go a Long Way By Joshua Nishimoto
So, you want your place to stick out and be noticed (in a good way). Increase your home’s curb appeal by focusing your efforts on quality additions that will make your home pop.
According to real estate agent Nedra Kanavel, curb appeal used to be a way for people to make their house appealing and attract potential buyers from the road as they drove by. In a way that’s still the case. Kanavel suggests when selling a home, homeowners should hire a talented photographer and an agent who will be able to work together to stage a property and get the right angles and lighting to give one’s home greater appeal on online websites.
To ensure that your home pops, both in person and online, try adding red brick around your walkways and garden beds. Brick will draw the eyeline to the house, while highlighting your home’s natural beauty and color. You can also use old wooden or upcycled wooden pallets to create a walkway between the areas of your front yard. It’s an inexpensive way to add borders in and around your sidewalks or garden paths and adds definition to any walkway.
Another inexpensive way to make your home pop is to fix up eyesores around your home. According to Kanavel, that includes decluttering your home, both inside and out. You may also want to pay attention to other clutter like that outdated air conditioning (AC) unit on the side of your house. Although you still use it and need it in the summertime, try hiding it by using wood, brick or stone materials as a cover. Most AC units are eyesores, so covering them up with basic materials, or something that is altogether uniquely you, will not only enhance the outside of your house but rid the unattractive view of that AC unit.
Plants and planters will go a long way to provide a natural ambience to the outside of your home. Pick lush, bright and inviting plants and flowers. Although the more plants the better seems like a good idea, according to Kanavel, not all plants will improve one’s home’s curb appeal. Sometimes people over invest in items that don’t help at all, like a large tree.
Windows and doorways are the eyes of the house. Feel free to give those windows and doorways a makeover. Cedar shutters are pricey, so if you’re on a budget, try to find materials that add your personal touch to your windows.
You can paint your front door a bright color to give it some character. You can also update your door with brand new crown molding. The clean lines will pop in photos. Also, be sure to re-paint tired doorknobs and light fixtures. You won’t regret it, especially if you are on a budget. You can also try adding a wreath to your front door. Feel free to make it your own by adding different colors, ribbons, flowers and branches.
In the same vein, one’s garage door says a lot about a person. To add instant curb appeal, attach a few hardware pieces to the border of your garage door(s). It’s amazing how a few small touches can transform your home.
While these updates will improve anyone’s home, Kanavel insists that a homeowner should focus on improvements that increase the actual value of their home and know that making a few minor updates will not change a home’s true value.
“If you have received an appraisal report, go back and review your files,” she said. “Your home’s value is based on things like quality construction, amount of land, square footage, bathroom count and other major additions such as porch, outbuildings, etc.”
Know that the updates suggested here can help, but only if most of the items in a home are updated. The cleaner and prettier the house, the better curb appeal, the more people will stop and look. When buyers research deep enough, they’ll discover the true value of a home.
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